Quarry company denies ill-treatment of Indian workers – Labour Minister

– as multi-Ministerial probe continues

The investigation into the alleged poor working conditions and unfair treatment meted out to a group of Indian nationals at a quarry in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) continues, with Labour Minister Keoma Griffith telling reporters that the company has denied the allegations levelled against it.
“They have denied the allegations,” Griffith indicated to the media on the side-lines of an event in Georgetown on Wednesday when asked for an update on the investigation.

“The allegations relate to unsafe health and safety working environments, and of course, allegations relating to personal property and artefacts belonging to the workers – they have denied those allegations. It is now on us to investigate before we make a determination.” Over the weekend, reports surfaced of the suspected trafficking of 38 Indian nationals to work at the quarry operation at Batavia, Region Seven.
The Indian nationals were reportedly employed by Ekaa Hrim Earth Resources for the past three years, where their passports were allegedly withheld by the company’s management. The workers also complained about poor working conditions at the quarry. According to the Minister, statements have been obtained from all of the victims, and officials at the Indian High Commission in Georgetown were engaged. While passports had been handed over to the workers following the Government’s intervention, the company was given 24 hours from Monday to respond to the allegations. However, Griffith opted not to divulge many details about the response.
“It now calls on us to investigate both sides. Of course, the workers have said something which we are going to take seriously…but the company has said a different version… Our responsibility is to listen to both sides and to investigate. It is my duty to ensure that everything is examined before we come to the media or to the public to give information. We will not be irresponsible and give misinformation to the public. We would not be irresponsible and give misinformation,” he informed reporters.

Human trafficking
Further questioned about whether the situation constitutes human trafficking, Minister Griffith explained that he has to be guided by his technical team, which is still investigating the matter. “I’m not going to make an allegation of human trafficking without information. I cannot do it. That would be irresponsible of me, not only as the Minister but also as somebody who serves the public.
“I cannot do that,” he told reporters on Wednesday morning. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Guyana is governed by the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act. It states that “any person who, for the purpose of trafficking in persons and acting or purporting to act as another person’s employer, manager, supervisor, contractor, employment agent, or solicitor of clients such as a pimp, knowingly procures, destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses any travel document or other Government identification document, whether actual or purported, belonging to another person commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one million dollars together with imprisonment for five years.” The Minister added that the investigation is ongoing and is being carried out in collaboration with the Ministries of Home Affairs and Human Services and Social Security. In fact, the inter-Ministerial investigating team has already gone on the ground and visited the quarry operations as part of the investigation.

Ongoing process
Moreover, Griffith informed reporters that he would be engaging the company again on Wednesday afternoon. Efforts by this newspaper to contact the Minister to follow up on the outcome of that meeting were futile. However, he had told reporters on Wednesday morning that “This is an ongoing process. I want everybody to understand it’s an ongoing process.”
Minister Griffith, while speaking on Wednesday at a stakeholders’ forum on “Bridging Guyana’s Skills Gap: Diaspora and Migrant Labour”, made it clear that while Guyana has become a destination for migrant workers, particularly from China, India, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and other regional neighbours, they must be treated humanely in accordance with the country’s laws and regulations.
“Their recruitment must be safe; their recruitment must be orderly. Your recruitment must be ethical. Your recruitment must be regulated and grounded in human rights,” he underscored. In January 2023, the Amerindian Affairs Ministry facilitated the US$20 million quarrying project undertaken by Ekaa Hrim Earth Resource Management. According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) report, under this agreement, 1089 acres of land were leased to the company; 13 acres will be used for mining, while the remainder will be a buffer zone. It was also reported that 40 per cent of the labour workforce at the site would have been sourced from Batavia.

Political exploitation
Meanwhile, joining the Labour Minister in condemning the mistreatment was Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, who highlighted the importance of reporting situations like this.
“Government can’t expect to know every single transaction or activity that is taking place across the length and breadth of this country unless it is reported to one of the official channels… If a report is not made, the state apparatus is not activated. The state apparatus doesn’t operate on autopilot; reports have to be made and then processes are activated,” Nandlall stated.
The AG nevertheless called out certain politicians whom he says have been using this situation as a political football for cheap gains. “He exploited this opportunity for political gains and it was nakedly so. While he did a good job by bringing the people out and offering them a meal, everything was done live… It demonstrates the lack of genuineness, demonstrates the lack of sensitivity and the lack of humanity,” Nandlall posited.